â€œAmidst us today is a Muslim news-reporter, a rare but growing entity in our community. We need to keep encouraging our youth to enter into journalism. We find this reporter everywhere, working diligently to cover as many events of civic significance as possible. In this era of communication and information channels, every community needs strong media and we are proud that this reporter writes for one of our very own media weekly The Muslim Observer.â€

â€œThis unique newspaper brings analysis of what is going on around us and over the years has set high standards of journalism. On behalf of the Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, we bestow upon the weekly The Muslim Observer newspaper the Community Leadership Award 2006 and ask Brother Ilyas Choudry to receive it.

Sentiments similar to this were expressed by Amjad Muhtaseb, Houston President of the MAS Freedom Foundation, as the different Community Leadership Awards 2006 were given out at the Dinner of the 3rd Annual MAS-ICNA South Regional Convention at Grand Plaza Hotel Houston over the Thanksgiving Weekend.

In his short presentation from the podium, Ilyas Hasan Choudry, Houston Representative of the weekly Muslim Observer expressed his gratitude to MAS Freedom Foundation for the prestigious award and informed the guests that the weekly Muslim Observer is a distinctive newspaper, emphasizing news analysis from varying angles rather than news, since by the time a weekly paper reaches its audience its â€œnewsâ€ is stale.

That is why TMO emphasizes articles and analysis from the very front page and throughout. TMO wants to bring value to readers thought processes, worldwide news written fresh by our own writers from a viewpoint not expressed in other newspapers, and other news that other papers refuse to cover. In order to make the media stronger, we need all of your comments to improve and we encourage you all to subscribe to the newspaper.

The MAS Freedom Foundation Community Leadership Award Dinner was attended by dignitaries of the community: Among them were Congressman Al Green (D) and Texas State Rep. Hubert Vo (D).